I’ll admit it, I used to turn up my nose at the IBM (and later, Lexmark) Wheelwriter typewriter. After all, it was electronic and being I prefer manual or electric (mechanical with a motor) typewriters, the Wheelwriter never really appealed to me. Unlike the IBM Selectric, it didn’t have a pleasing design. It lacked all sex appeal. Even the color was bland and uninteresting. And then there's that plastic case.
All those things still ring true but the IBM Wheelwriter really shines in functionality. To be completely transparent, when I have a lot of typing to do, I reach for the Wheelwriter more often than not. Why? Because it’s a solid workhorse of a typewriter that can handle anything I throw at it and it’s chocked full of great features.
Do I need to center a lot of text on the page? No problem with the Wheelwriter. A simple depressing of the CODE + CTR keys, and the Wheelwriter whirs into action, automatically centering the text on the page. Would I like some bold headings? On my Wheelwriter 1000, that’s as simple as selecting the bold function via the keyboard. Oh, I shouldn’t forget to mention its ability to do hanging indents so that when I have a numbered list of items, it quickly moves the carrier to just the right spot to begin the next line of text.
I wish I knew more of the Wheelwriter’s design history and learn how it came about and who may have been involved. According to IBM's corporate site, "The IBM Selectric System/2000 typewriters, a family of totally electronic machines for a wide range of applications" were announced to the public in 1984. Currently, I’m not aware of any historical design information being publicly available which has been disappointing. If you happen to have worked on the design of the IBM Wheelwriter, I would love to talk to you!
I could go on and on about the Wheelwriter’s robust features and functionality. Things like being able to reprint a document that you’ve typed before, is very handy. Just this past week, I typed up some notes on a class I’m teaching at my church and printed fresh copies from each member of the class. No fuss. No muss.
I would recommend the IBM Wheelwriter typewriter for a business office or anyone who wants to do a lot of typing and writing all the while having a robust set of features at their finger tips.
If you’d like to purchase a refurbished IBM Wheelwriter, contact us. We usually have a few that have been refurbished and are in stock. We can even help you determine which model might be best for your needs or even to repair one that you’ve purchased in the past.
Contact us via email (info@kytyper.com) or by phone at 859-264-7384.